Rwandair Gets A330neos, Wants to Fly to JFK With Them
It may be finally happening for real: RwandAir will fly from Kigali, Rwanda, to New York — and probably nonstop, too. It would be the first flight ever between the United States and the East African nation. And it would also be with the brand-new Airbus A330neo, the latest version of the Airbus long-haul workhorse.
RwandAir has confirmed it will take delivery of the first of two Airbus A330-900neos in 2019, and use the jet to operate non-stop flights between New York and Rwanda. The feasibility of such a long flight nonstop with the A330 is far from certain, though.
The Kigali-based carrier has a new CEO, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, who confirmed the airline is picking up two orders for A330-900neos which were originally destined for now-defunct Air Berlin. When the German airline ceased operations in October 2017, Airbus met with the RwandAir team to discuss reallocating Air Berlin's order slots to the East African airline, which was hungry for new airplanes to expand.
In fact, John Mirenge, the airline's CEO when RwandAir took delivery of earlier-model A330s in 2016, told TPG that "Airbus had to talk us out of buying one of everything, so that we at least remain sustainable! We want it all, A350, A330!” RwandAir currently operates an A330-200 and an A330-300 on routes in Africa, and to Brussels, London and Dubai outside of Africa.
Last year, RwandAir applied for US Department of Transportation rights to operate flights to the US, which have since been approved. The problem is that the even the "neo"version of the A330, with almost 500 miles of additional range compared to existing A330s thanks to more efficient engines, may not have the juice needed to reach New York nonstop.
The distance between Kigali and New York is 7,048 miles, and the range of the A330-900neo is around 7,500 miles, which means the proposed route takes the jet close to maximum range — and that's without factoring in the headwinds when flying westbound, and a departure from high-altitude, hot airport in Kigali. (High altitude and hot air degrade a plane's takeoff performance, meaning it may not be able to depart with a full load of fuel.)
Airbus says it is working very closely with RwandAir to make this possible, and often the actual range of a jet varies from the official stats as a WOW Air A321neo proved when it flew non-stop from Iceland to California, a surprising feat. Still, a nonstop from Rwanda to New York would be technically difficult. A fuel stop may be necessary at least on some days, or payload may have to be restricted, diminishing the commercial appeal of the flight. It's not clear how RwandAir — which is not part of an alliance — plans to make money on a route that would be a major step up from its current operations, but the airline is firm about wanting to serve New York.
That said, RwandAir may be a young and relatively small airline from a small country, but its coach and business cabins feature pretty good seats.
With the introduction of A330-900neo, RwandAir will feature Airbus' new "Airspace by Airbus" cabin, with a new ceiling, overhead lockers, side wall panels, and more. We can expect the seats to remain the same, which is good news as the airline invested heavily in some of the market's leading seats, such as the Thompson Vantage XL, which is also found in business class cabins on SAS and South African Airways. Economy class on the carrier's current A330 is pictured below.
A previous version of this article identified RwandAir's Premium Economy seats as Economy. We have fixed the offending caption.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.